Electric resistance heating with spaced insulative positioners and an inter-connectable base strip

ABSTRACT

An electric resistance heater having spaced insulative conductor positioner and an inter-connectable base strip for positioning an electric heating wire. The conductor positioner is mounted on the base strip. The electric heating wire is positioned by the conductor positioner. The combination of the base strip, the conductor positioner, and the electric heating wire may be in a housing such as a pipe or a tube. When the base strip is of sufficient length, there are a plurality of the conductor positioners mounted on the base strip for positioning the electric heating wire.

1451 Oct. 28, 1975 United States Patent 11 1 Jay et al.

1 ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING WITII 2,963,539 12/1960 11/1966 Hynes 3,286,079 Hynes et al...... 3,302,003

1/1967 Kinney.....,.... 2/1973 -CONNECTABLE BASE STRIP 3,718,806 Potter..........1...................... 219/550 Primary Examiner-Velodymyr Y. Mayewsky y dt 8 h a s ABSTRACT [22 Filed: Jan. 10, 1974 pp N05 432,402 An electric resistance heater having spaced insulative conductor positioner and an inter-connectable base strip for positioning an electric heating wire. The conductor positioner is mounted on the base strip. The electric heating wire is positioned by the conductor positioner. The combination of the base strip, the con ductor positioner, and the electric heating wire may be in a housing such as a pipe or a tube. When the base strip is of sufficient length, there are a plurality of the conductor positioners mounted on the base strip for positioning the electric heating wire.

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FIG?) Sheet 2 of 2 US. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 ELECTRIC RESISTANCE HEATING WITH SPACED INSULATIVE POSITIONERS AND AN INTER-CONNECTABLE BASE STRIP BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In many places it is necessary to heat a material or to maintain a material at a specific temperature. For example, in cold weather, it may be necessary to heat fuel oil or diesel oil or a high viscosity oil in a tank or in a pipe so as to be able to pump and flow the oil. Also, it may be necessary to heat organic chemicals so as to be able to pump and to flow the organic chemicals from one place to another place. For example, tallow, at normal temperature, is a solid. When it is desired to load the tallow from a storage tank to a means of transportation, such as a tank car on a railroad or a tank truck on an automotive vehicle or onto a ship, it is necessary to heat the tallow so as to be able to pump the tallow from the storage area to the transportation means. Another illustration is that of asphalt where it is necessary to maintain the asphalt at a certain temperature so as to be able to use the asphalt at a desirable location.

There are numerous ways to heat liquids or solids or to maintain the temperature of the liquid or solid at a specified temperature. One of these ways is by the use of steam in a steam pipe. It is necessary to generate the steam and then to introduce the steam into the steam pipe in the housing for the material. With the passage of time, there may be corrosion of the steam pipe or steam pipes and leakage of the steam into the material. As a result, there is a contamination of the material. Another way of heating the material is by the use of hot air. Hot air does not have the heat required and, therefore, is often impractical. Another way is by the use of hot water or a hot liquid. As with steam, the hot liquid or hot water may corrode the pipes and in time leakage will occur and the material will be contaminated by the hot water or the hot liquid.

An additional way of heating the material or maintaining the temperature of the material is by an electric heating wire. The electric heating wire is placed in a tube and the tube is placed in the housing for the material. With an electric heating wire, it is necessary to position the wire and to insulate the wire so as to not short circuit the heating wire on the housing. The housing is, generally, a metal pipe and therefore care must be taken to not allow the electric heating wire to contact the metal pipe and short circuit. An electric heating wire is an effective means for heating material in a housing.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to an electric heating wire, a conductor, for use in a housing having a relatively, small diameter and a relatively, long length. The housing for the heating wire may be a tube or a pipe.

There is a means, a conductor positioner, for positioning the electric heating wire in the pipe or tube. Also, there is a base strip or a carrier on which the conductor positioner is placed. With the placing of the conductor positioner on the base strip and the electric heating wire in the conductor positioner, it is possible to insert the combination of the base strip and the conductor positioner and the heating wire in the housing such as a pipe or tube.

Generally, it is desirable that the electric heating wire be operated at a low watt density so as to give off, only,

sufficient heat to maintain or heat the material but not to burn the material.

In such a combination, it is necessary to position the conductor positioner and the base strip and the electric heating wire so that the electric heating wire does not contact the housing and short.

An object and advantage of this invention is to pro vide a means and a method for positioning and locking a conductor positioner on a base strip for an electric heating wire so as to be able to insert the base strip and the conductor positioner and the heating wire in a housing such as a tube or pipe; and additional object is to provide a combination of a base strip and a conductor positioner wherein a conductor positioner is easily positioned on the base strip and, easily, removed from the base strip; another important object is to provide a combination ofa base strip, a conductor positioner and an electric heating wire for firmly positioning the electric heating wire; a further object is to provide a combination of a base strip and a conductor positioner and an electric heating wire for easy insertion and easy removal from a housing such as a pipe or a tube; a further important object is to provide a combination of a base strip and a conductor positioner which is, relatively, inexpensive to manufacture; and, another object is to provide a combination of a base strip, a conductor positioner, and an electric heating wire which is easy to maintain.

These and other important objects and advantages of the invention will be more particularly brought forth upon reference to the detailed description of the invention, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings.

THE DRAWINGS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view looking down on a fragmentary portion of the base strip and illustrates the base strip with a tab integral with the strip;

FIG. 2 is a view of the conductor positioner and illustrates the finger passageway and the wire passageway;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view looking down on a fragmentary portion of the base strip with the conductor positioner positioned on the base strip and the tab in the finger passageway;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view looking down on a tube or a pipe with the combination of the base strip, the conductor positioner, and electric heating wires partially in thehousing such as a pipe and partially out of the pipe;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of another form of the base strip and shows the base strip with two tabs;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the base strip of FIG. 5 and illustrates the two tabs;

FIG. 7 is a view of the conductor positioner and shows the two finger passageways and wire passageways in the conductor positioner;

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating the conductor positioner being positioned onto the base strip;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of FIG. 8 and illustrates the conductor positioner as being positioned by thetwo tabs on the base strip;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view looking down on a combination of a fragmentary portion of the base strip with the conductor positioners positioned on the base strip and electric heating wires positioned in the conductor positioner; and,

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION I In FIG. 1 it is seen that there is a base strip 20 having a tab 22 punched out of the middle portion of the strip.

The tab 22 comprises a riser portion 24 and a finger 26. In FIG. I it is seenthat the riser portion 24 is, substantially, at right angles to the main body of the base strip 20. Also, it is seen that the finger 26 is substantially parallel, to the base strip 20 and, substantially, at right angles to the riser portion 24.

The base strip 20 may be of metal and, before deformation, may be a strip of metal which is subjected to a die to form the tab 22. The base strip 20 may be of sheet metal or stainless steel.

In FIG. 2 it is seen that there is a conductor positioner 30 having a flat bottom portion 32 and two upwardly directed sides 34. The sides 34 are at an angle to the flat bottom portion 32. Also, in FIG. 2 it is seen that the sides are connected by a rounded shoulder or an are 36. The conductor positioner 30 has a width 38, approximately, V; inch to 1 inch in thickness.

In the conductor positioner, and near the flat bottom portion 32 is a finger passageway 40. Also, in the conductor positioner 30 are four wire passageways 42.

In FIG. 3 there is illustrated the conductor positioner 30 on the base strip 20 with the finger 26 projecting through the finger passageway 40 and with the end of the finger 26 being bent over to firmly position the conductor positioner on the base strip. Also, in FIG. 3 it is seen that there are three electric heating wires 44 in three of the passageways 42.

In FIG. 4 it is seen that the combination of the base strip 20, the conductor positioner 30 and the electric heating wires 44 are being inserted into a housing such as a pipe 46 or a tube 46. In turn, the pipe 46 or the tube 46 and the combination of the base strip and the conductor positioner and the electric heating wires may be positioned in a-housing for heating the material in a housing or maintaining the temperature of the material in the housing. Y

The pipe '46 has an adapter unit 48 and a bundle of lead wires 50 connecting with the adapter unit 48. It is to be understood that the three electric heating wires 44 may be connected to the bundle of wires 50 so as to receive electrical energy from an external source.

In FIGS. -11 there is illustrated another form or another species of the base strip and the conductor positioner.

In FIGS. 5 and 6 there is illustrated a base strip 60 comprising a first tab 62 and a second tab 64. It is seen that the tabs 62 and 64 are at, substantially, the same linear position on the base strip 60.

The tabs 62 and 64 comprise, each, a riser portion 66 and a finger 68.

The riser portions are, substantially, at right angles to the main body of the base strip 60. The finger portions are, substantially, parallel to the main body of the base strip 60 and, substantially, at right angles to the riser portion 66.

In FIGS. 5 and 6, it is seen that the fingers 68 of the tabs 62 and 64 point in opposite directions.

In FIG. 7, it is seen that there is a conductor positioner 70 having a flat bottom portion 72, two, upwardly and outwardly directed sides 74, and a curved or arcuate portion 76 connecting the sides 74.

In each of the sides 74 there is a finger passageway or groove 78. In other words, in the conductor positioner 70 there are two finger passageways or grooves The conductor positioner 70 has a thickness 80, approximately, inch to 1 inch in thickness.

In FIG. 8 there is illustrated. in phantom lines, the conductor positioner 70 on the base strip 60 with the main body of the conductor positioner 70 parallel to the longitudinal axis of the base strip 60. Also, in FIG. 8 it is seen that there are arrows indicating the direction of rotation of the conductor positioner 70 so as to have the fingers 68 project through the grooves 78 for firmly positioning the conductor positioner 70 on the base strip 60. I

This is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 9 which shows the fingers 68 in the grooves 78. 1

In FIG. 10 there is illustrated, in a perspective view, the conductor positioner 70 in a spaced apart relation, positioned on the base strip 60 with the fingers 68 in the grooves 78. In FIG. 10 it is seen that the heating coils in the passageways 80 function to lock the insulator 76 to the base strip 60 to prevent turning of the insulator 76 and thereby act as a coil lock unit.

In FIG. 7 there is illustrated in the conductor positioner 70 four wire passageways 80.

In FIG. 10 it is seen that there are three electric heating wires 82 positioned in three of the four passageways 80.

In effect, there has been produced a combination of the basestrip 60, the conductor positioner 70, and the electric heating wires 82.

In FIG. 11 there is illustrated a modification of the base strip 60 in that the fingers 68 point in the same direction and not in opposition directions as illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6. Also, in FIG. 11 it is seen that the ends of the fingers 68 are bent over so as to firmly position the conductor positioner 70 onto the base strip 60.

It is to be realized that the combination of the base strip 60, the conductor positioner 70, and the electric heating wires 82 may be inserted into a housing such as a pipe 46 or a tube 46 as previously illustrated and explained with respect to FIG. 4.

The combination of the base strip and the conductor positioner and the electric heating wires cooperate with each other to position the conductor positioner onto the base strip. After the conductor positioner has been positioned onto the base strip, the electric heating wires assist in preventing movement of the conductor positioner with respect to the base strip. This holds true for the combination of the base strip 20, the conductor positioner 30 and the electric heating wires 44, as well as for the combination of the base strip 60, the conductor positioner 70, and the electric heating wires 82.

In these combinations, it is seen that the flat bottom portion 32 of the conductor positioner 30 bears against the upper surface or main body'of the base strip 20 and that the flat bottom portion of the conductor positioner 70 bears against the upper surface or main body of the base strip 60.

The conductor positioners 30 and 70 are of an insulative material, such as ceramic or a ceramic insulator.

As previously stated, the base strip and the base strip 60 may be of sheet metal or of stainless steel.

From the foregoing, it is seen that we have provided an inexpensive means and method for positioning a conductor positioner, an insulator, on a base strip and for positioning electric heating wires in the conductor positioner.

What we claim is:

l. A combination of an electric heating wire and a means for positioning said electric heating wire, said combination comprising:

a. said electric heating wire;

b. a flexible metallic base strip;

c. a conductor positioner of an electrically insulative material;

(1. a first tab integral with said base strip;

e. said first tab comprising a riser portion connecting with said base strip and a finger pointing away from said riser;

f. said conductor positioner having a first means for receiving said first tab for securely positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip and said first means being a first through passageway and paralle to said base strip in the lower part of said conductor positioner for receiving said finger;

g. said conductor positioner having a second means for positioning said electric heating wire;

h. said conductor positioner being on said base strip with said finger being in said first means through passageway to position said conductor positioner with respect to said base strip;

. said second means being a second through passageway and parallel to said base strip for receiving said electric heating wire; and,

j. said electric heating wire being in said second means to assist in positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip.

2. A combination according to claim 1 and comprising:

a. the end of said finger, projecting through said first passageway, being deformed to prevent removal of said conductor positioner from said base strip and to lock said conductor positioner on said base strip.

3. A combination according to claim 2 and comprising:

a. a plurality of said tabs on said base strip;

b. a plurality of said conductor positioners; and,

c. a housing for said combination.

4. A combination according to claim 1 and comprising:

a. a second tab connecting with said base strip;

b. said second tab comprising a riser portion connecting with said base strip and a finger pointing away from said riser;

c. said first tab and said second tab being in a set and being near each other on said base strip and on opposite sides of said base strip;

d. said conductor positioner having a third means for receiving said second tab for positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip and said third means being a third through passageway in the lower part of said conductor positioner for receiving said finger;

e. said first tab and said second tab pointing in opposite directions; and,

f. said conductor positioner being positioned on said base strip between said first tab and said second tab and being rotated so that said first through passageway receives said first tab and said third through passageway receives said second tab.

5. A combination according to claim 4 and comprising:

a. said second tab being integral with said base strip. 6. A combination according to claim 5 and comprising:

a. a plurality of said sets of tabs on said base strip; b. a plurality of said conductor positioners; and,

c. a housing for said combination.

7. A combination according to claim 4 and comprising:

a. a second tab connecting with said base strip;

b. said second tab comprising a riser portion connecting with said base strip and a finger pointing away from said riser;

c. said first tab and said second tab being in a set and being near each other on said base strip and on opposite sides of said base strip;

d. said conductor positioner having a third means for receiving said second tab for positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip and said third means being a third through passageway in the lower part of said conductor positioner for receiving said finger;

e. said first tab and said second tab pointing in the same directions;

f. the end of said finger of said first tab, projecting through said passageway, being deformed to prevent removal of said conductor positioner from said base strip and to lock said conductor positioner on said base strip; and,

g. the end of said finger of said second tab, projecting through said third passageway, being deformed to prevent removal of said conductor positioner from said base strip and to lock said conductor positioner on said base strip.

8. A combination according to claim 7 and comprising:

a. said second tab being integral with said base strip. 9. A combination according to claim 8 and comprising:

a. a plurality of said sets to tabs on said base strip; b. a plurality of said conductor positioners; and,

c. a housing for said combination. 

1. A combination of an electric heating wire and a means for positioning said electric heating wire, said combination comprising: a. said electric heating wire; b. a flexible metallic base strip; c. a conductor positioner of an electrically insulative material; d. a first tab integral with said base strip; e. said first tab comprising a riser portion connecting with said base strip and a finger pointing away from said riser; f. said conductor positioner having a first means for receiving said first tab for securely positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip and said first means being a first through passageway and paralle to said base strip in the lower part of said conductor positioner for receiving said finger; g. said conductor positioner having a second means for positioning said electric heating wire; h. said conductor positioner being on said base strip with said finger being in said first means through passageway to position said conductor positioner with respect to said base strip; i. said seCond means being a second through passageway and parallel to said base strip for receiving said electric heating wire; and, j. said electric heating wire being in said second means to assist in positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip.
 2. A combination according to claim 1 and comprising: a. the end of said finger, projecting through said first passageway, being deformed to prevent removal of said conductor positioner from said base strip and to lock said conductor positioner on said base strip.
 3. A combination according to claim 2 and comprising: a. a plurality of said tabs on said base strip; b. a plurality of said conductor positioners; and, c. a housing for said combination.
 4. A combination according to claim 1 and comprising: a. a second tab connecting with said base strip; b. said second tab comprising a riser portion connecting with said base strip and a finger pointing away from said riser; c. said first tab and said second tab being in a set and being near each other on said base strip and on opposite sides of said base strip; d. said conductor positioner having a third means for receiving said second tab for positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip and said third means being a third through passageway in the lower part of said conductor positioner for receiving said finger; e. said first tab and said second tab pointing in opposite directions; and, f. said conductor positioner being positioned on said base strip between said first tab and said second tab and being rotated so that said first through passageway receives said first tab and said third through passageway receives said second tab.
 5. A combination according to claim 4 and comprising: a. said second tab being integral with said base strip.
 6. A combination according to claim 5 and comprising: a. a plurality of said sets of tabs on said base strip; b. a plurality of said conductor positioners; and, c. a housing for said combination.
 7. A combination according to claim 4 and comprising: a. a second tab connecting with said base strip; b. said second tab comprising a riser portion connecting with said base strip and a finger pointing away from said riser; c. said first tab and said second tab being in a set and being near each other on said base strip and on opposite sides of said base strip; d. said conductor positioner having a third means for receiving said second tab for positioning said conductor positioner on said base strip and said third means being a third through passageway in the lower part of said conductor positioner for receiving said finger; e. said first tab and said second tab pointing in the same directions; f. the end of said finger of said first tab, projecting through said passageway, being deformed to prevent removal of said conductor positioner from said base strip and to lock said conductor positioner on said base strip; and, g. the end of said finger of said second tab, projecting through said third passageway, being deformed to prevent removal of said conductor positioner from said base strip and to lock said conductor positioner on said base strip.
 8. A combination according to claim 7 and comprising: a. said second tab being integral with said base strip.
 9. A combination according to claim 8 and comprising: a. a plurality of said sets to tabs on said base strip; b. a plurality of said conductor positioners; and, c. a housing for said combination. 